ELIZABETHTOWN – Two big plays in the final four minutes provided the momentum that propelled South Columbus to a 29-22 non-conference football victory over East Bladen.
With the score tied 22-22, the Eagles forced a Stallion punt and gained possession at their own 34 yardline with 3:55 on the clock. Senior Ethan Hines scooted around the leftside and dashed 66 yards for an apparent touchdown, but a holding penalty nullified the score.
Two plays later South Columbus’ Robby Spencer recovered a fumbled Eagle hand-off at the East Bladen 29 with 2:51 left. Traquan Bellamy started the 5-play scoring drive with a 9-yard run and capped it with a 10-yard touchdown run. The extra point kick put South up 29-22 with 1:02 on the clock.
A personal foul penalty helped the Eagles reach the South Columbus 49 yardline, but East Bladen was stopped 2 yards short on fourth down at the 41.
“We didn’t make any plays,” said East Bladen Coach Robby Priest. “We need leadership and mental toughness and you get that in the weight room. We need to get all our kids in there together, so they can get to know each other. We will get better with more games and more experience.”
The Stallions took the opening kick-off and marched 47 yards to the Eagle 11 yardline, but East Bladen’s Xavia McDowell threw South Columbus star Dennis Leggett for a 4-yard loss on fourth down to end the threat.
The Eagles responded with a 44-yard drive as sophmore James Higgins carried 3 times for 20 yards and Ethan Hines gained 11 yards on a counter play. However a lost fumble at the Stallion 39 stopped East Bladen.
South Columbus answered with a 61-yard drive in 11 plays. The Eagles stood up Leggett on a third down play, but the Stallion linemen moved the pile forward, and a face mask penalty put the ball on the Eagle 13 yardline.
Bellamy carried 10 yards for the touchdown and with the conversion kick a 7-0 lead.
A 15-yard dash by Eian Hines pushed the Eagles out near midfield, but a fourth down play from midfield resulted in an 11-yard loss and gave South the ball at the East 39 yardline.
Leggett broke loose for a 27 yard run, and after a penalty, Bellamy darted 7 yards for his second touchdown. After an Eagle penalty on the conversion, South Coach Russell Dove elected to go for 2 points. Fullback Seth Buffkin bulled into the end zone for the conversion and a 15-0 lead.
Ethan Hines scooped up the Stallion kick-off at his own 30 hardline, burst through the initial wave of defenders and sprinted 70 yards down the left side for an Eagle touchdown that trimmed the deficit to 15-6 with 5:46 left in the half.
After stopping the Stallions, the Eagles crossed into South territory late in the half, but the clock expired after a 20-yard pass from quarterback Quinton Bedsole to Ethan Hines was stopped at the South Columbus 20 yardline.
Eian Hines raced 62 yards to the Stallion 15 yardline with the second-half kick-off. One play later Higgins bolted 11 yards into the end zone for the touchdown. Ethan Hines powered off the left side for the 2-point conversion that sliced the lead to 15-14 only 56 seconds into the second half.
South Columbus responded with a 58-yard drive in 15 plays, but Higgins tackled Leggett for a 5-yard loss on first down at the Eagle four, and Eian Hines dropped Bellamy for a one-yard loss on fourth down at the seven.
The Stallions covered 73 yards in 7 plays on their next possession. Leggett popped free for a 43-yard gallop to the Eagle two yardline. On the next play quarterback Spencer dropped the snap but picked it up and scored the touchdown. The conversion upped the count to 22-14 with 9:05 left to play.
East Bladen bounced back with an 80-yard drive in 8 plays. Higgins carried twice for 12 yards, and Ethan Hines rushed twice for 13 yards, before Eian Hines charged through the middle on the counter play and scampered 36 yards for the touchdown.
After a delay penalty moved the conversion back to the 8-yardline, Bedsole connected with Ethan Hines in the right corner of the end zone with the conversion pass to tie the game 22-22 with 6 minutes on the clock.
Leggett carried 17 times for 139 yards to lead the Stallions who piled up 321 yards rushing. Traquan Bellamy finished with 63 yards and 3 touchdowns on 10 attempts, and Aaron Bellamy toted the ball 14 times for 65 yards.
Ethan Hines racked up 70 yards rushing on 10 carries for East Bladen, returned a kick-off for a 70-yard touchdown and caught a pass for 20 more yards. Eian Hines ran for 62 yards and a touchdown on 9 rushes and returned a kick-off 62 yards.
Higgins carried ten times for 63 yards and a touchdown. Bedsole completed 3 of 6 passes for 20 yards. East Bladen finished with 209 yards rushing.
“It was an offensive battle at the start,” said Coach Dove, a Bladen County native who was at West Bladen last season. “It seemed like whoever didn’t turn it over scored. I’ve got to talk to the kick-off team. They got loose a few times on us.”
East Bladen travels to Whiteville Friday for a 7 p.m. game.
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